Duties of the Child Protection Services

Duties of the Child Protection Services. (a) The Department of Community and Cultural Affairs, Division of Youth Services, shall develop written procedures for screening each referral for abuse or neglect of a child to assess whether abuse of another family or household member is also occurring. The assessment must include but is not limited to: (1) Inquiry concerning the criminal record of the parents and the alleged abusive or neglectful person and the alleged perpetrator of domestic or family violence, if not a parent of the child; and (2) Inquiry concerning the existence of orders for protection issued to either parent. (b) If it is determined in an investigation of abuse or neglect of a child: (1) That the child or another family or household member is in danger of domestic or family violence and that removal of one of the parties is necessary to prevent the abuse or neglect of the child, the Director shall seek the removal of the alleged perpetrator of domestic or family violence whenever possible; and (2) That a parent of the child is a victim of domestic or family violence, services must be offered to the victimized parent and the provision of such services must not be contingent upon a finding that either parent is at fault or has failed to protect the child. Source: PL 12-19, § 2 (308).